Alternative Medicine Systems

I wanted to talk about alternative healthcare approaches in contrast to the most widely used conventional or Western medicine model. In school to become a Registered Nurse, the professor shared with us a story about someone who was at a river and heard someone calling for help-they were being swept downriver. The person on the shore dove into the water and pulled the person out. Then, not 5 minutes later, another person again was calling for help, being swept downriver and again, the person on the shore dove into the water and pulled the person out. This continued to happen again and again. My professor explained that this was like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, or giving medications that helped with symptoms, but did not address the root cause of the disease. She encouraged us to instead, take a walk upriver and see what was causing the people to fall into the river in the first place. This stuck with me and so when I came upon my own journey of disease, I wanted to start upstream, to try and find the root cause of what my body was telling me.

Roots!

In 2019, my body came to a standstill- I was experiencing constant pain, fatigue, muscle and nerve tremors, headaches, had rashes on my body, and was loosing weight rapidly because I didn't feel hungry, so I didn't eat much. I had been working the last 5 years as a farmer and had been surrounded by the plants and nature. Witnessing the change in the seasons-the cycles, being outside, and working with my hands was amazingly healing for my mental health. I had come to trust the plants and their wisdom and so, when my journey of unearthing the disease began, I decided to work with a Naturopathic Doctor who was certified in Functional Medicine.

So...what is a Naturopathic Doctor?

According to The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians website,

"Naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges. They diagnose, prevent, and treat acute and chronic illness to restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person's inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized treatment plans to address them."

And...what is Functional Medicine?

According to The Institute for Functional Medicine website,

"Functional medicine treats the whole person, addressing the unique physical, mental, and emotional needs of each patient. Clinicians bring together the entire complement of modern scientific tools, including a deep understanding of biology, physiology, genetics, social and environmental determinants of health, and the vital connection between mental and physical well-being. It is this combination of focusing on individual patients and applying a multi-faceted treatment path that delivers transformational results."

The real difference I see here between Naturopathic Doctors/Functional Medicine and Conventional or Western Medicine is a framework that allows individualized, instead of standardized medicine, to be practiced. Unfortunately, because of this, Functional Medicine and Naturopathic Doctors are often not covered by insurance. Though, if you have a Primary Care Provider (PCP) who is open to working as a team with your other practitioners, lab work, medications, or other tests and treatments can be ordered through insurance. (I have also had an experience with a Functional Medicine Practitioner which I felt was not guided by integrity. They wanted to do a large one-size-fits-all approach and give me all the tests possible and start me on a standardized supplement and diet protocol. I feel that this approach erases the individualized approach that is the vision of Naturopathic Doctors and Functional Medicine practitioners. Perhaps they were doing so to cover themselves from liability, or perhaps it was for the money, either way it was a red flag and I did not receive care from them.) In this way, money can be a barrier for care- though the NDs and FM practitioners I've worked with have helped to navigate financial hardships by outlining priorities and billing appointments in fractions of the hour to negate excess spending.

In my experience navigating through both system approaches, I have had the pleasure of sitting down with Functional Medicine Naturopathic Doctors in an initial visit for up to 2 hours, getting my life health history and trying to put together a mosaic that might help bring understanding of why disease is presenting. To have a practitioner deeply listen is healing in of itself as I have had many doctors whom I've left in the past for simply failing to listen or laughing at the holistic approach I wish to take in my healthcare. And I do give kudos to the last two doctors I have worked with in conventional medicine who have listened, understood my approach and respected it, and have helped me navigate a little easier.

This alternative approach also requires that one be active in their health- not just with taking supplements and getting lab work and tests completed, but also in establishing and maintaining a framework for health through diet, exercise, and stress management. This could also be a barrier for care if you don't have the support or motivation to do so.

Meditating for stress management

As an example, I'll share my experience in 2019 with both conventional and alternative medicine approaches.

My symptoms began before 2019 when two years in a row I visited my PCP because my brain felt foggy- I was having trouble remembering things, feeling overwhelmed, and tired much of the time. My PCP did blood work both years and with nothing out of range, I was told I must have seasonal depression, since both times I came in mid-winter, and I was given a referral to see a therapist. (I did see a therapist and worked through many things! I am grateful for that opportunity, as I believe mental and spiritual health is a huge piece of the holistic health journey.) Then, in 2019, I went on a hike and got bit by a tick in my arm, which I didn't realize for a couple days and when I did, the head of the tick was embedded in my swollen skin. Gah!!!!! I went to the doctor a few weeks later about the tick bite and they took my blood for Lyme's Disease, which was negative, but I had a positive Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) which is a marker for autoimmune disease. They did a recheck a few weeks later, and I still had an elevated ANA and no Lyme's indicators so I was referred to a rheumatologist and told that I most likely had Lupus- I also had the classic facial butterfly rash.

Instead of using my referral to the rheumatologist, who I knew would most likely put me on medications for the symptoms, this is when I decided to take my health into my own hands. I started a deep dive researching Lupus and autoimmune disease and chose to begin with a diet change. I started with the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet which was supposed to be healing of the gut, because my research showed that gut inflammation and leaky gut was one of the major causes of autoimmune disease. I struggled on that diet! My husband said I was emitting a horrible smell from my body- which I was imagining were toxins being drained out- and I couldn't make it past the third week where I transitioned from broths and cooked vegetables to raw vegetables and fruits because I began having profuse diarrhea. I continued to research and found another diet called the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet that was a much gentler detoxification for those with autoimmune disease. This diet was still very hard as it eliminated not only processed foods, sugar, wheat, seed oils, and grains, but also the top allergens: eggs, nuts, seeds, dairy, and nightshades. It is so hard to find foods without sugar in them- even bacon or dressings have sugar in them!!! I had to make everything from scratch and couldn't eat out at any restaurants. The AIP diet is one that eliminates, then reintroduces after a period of time when symptoms subside, so that felt good knowing that it wouldn't be forever.

Thank you for helping me dive into my healing journey!

Then, I began to look for Functional Medicine Naturopathic Doctors to work with. One of the first functional tests I took with my new practitioner was a look at my gut health- and I had 9/10 gut inflammation, even 3 months into my diet changes. The ND recommended supplements to first help eliminate unwanted gut inhabitants, then supplements to help reinhabit my gut with beneficial bacteria. She agreed with the AIP diet and within 6 months of starting it, I was able to reintroduce eggs, seeds, and white rice (which is allowed in Paleo). When I still continued to have symptoms, the ND then tested for bacteria from ticks, not just Lyme's Disease, which is the only marker that is covered under insurance. The results showed that I had Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, Bartonella infection and Toxoplasmosis, all which had been causing a constant low-grade fever and many of my symptoms. I would have never found this out without functional medicine tests and a functional medicine practitioner! I was given botanical supplements to help treat the infections and continued to improve in health until I felt 80% better and stopped digging so deeply into my health...(until 2024 when I had a new wave of symptoms that have brought me back in to get curious about symptoms of endometriosis and psoriatic arthrits, but those are for another post!).

So, as you can see, I was able to find the root cause of the symptoms I was experiencing before turning to conventional medicine which would have given me medications to mask my symptoms- medications that would have suppressed my immune system when it was trying to communicate that something needed to be addressed. I understand that this path is not for everyone- there are many barriers- but my hope in sharing this is for others to know that there is an alternative path. And I hope that in the future, Functional Medicine will become available for everyone who wants it.

Peace and love!